Durga Puja begins today

The largest Hindu festival the Durga Puja (worship of goddess Durga) begins today. The goddess brings blessings to people as well as business.

It is an annual Hindu festival that continues for five days. The festivities start today and end on Sunday with immersion of the statue.

About 27,000 mandaps (shrines) have been set up across Bangladesh this year to celebrate Durga Puja.

About Taka 200 crore would be circulated around this festival.

The number of Puja mandaps in Dhaka increased to 191 this year from 171 last year, of which about 80 pujas will be held in old Dhaka.

Budgets to conduct these pujas in Bangladesh may vary from Tk 30,000 to Tk 50 lakh each.

To finance the festivals, the main sources include members’ subscription fees, publishing souvenirs, donations and sponsorships. The government also provides assistance by donating money and rice, and it has already allocated Tk 1.5 crore.

The main Puja mandap in the capital is setup at the Dhakeshwari National Temple. Large mandaps have also been built at Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University, the Ramkrishna Mission, Ramna Kali Mondir, Siddheshwari Kali Mondir, Tanti Bazar, Shankhari Bazar, Bangla Bazar and at Mohakhali and Farmgate.

The Hindu community of Narayanganj is also abuzz. It is hosting more than 35 pujas this year, each promising to be more colourful than the next.

The puja festival brings opportunities for small and medium enterprises in the lighting and decoration businesses.

Sound system and lighting service provider’s business will rise as Durga Puja approaches Entertainment companies are also ready to make cash in this year on Durga Puja issue.

Private satellite television centres have designed special programme for the festival. They will telecast tele-films, drama, Bangla movies and live musical programmes.

Retail businesses in the country are also flying high.

Fashion houses got positive growth in sales during the festival.

Clay idol-makers are also busy in trading at this time as they got large numbers of work orders.